


When In Rome

by marvelmedigeekfics



Category: 9-1-1 (TV), 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Established Tarlos, Gen, Getting Together, M/M, Pre-Relationship, writing is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29297412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelmedigeekfics/pseuds/marvelmedigeekfics
Summary: TK and Carlos + Eddie and Buck are on vacation. Obviously there is a little bit of emergency everytime they do anything, but what else will be accomplished?
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 127





	When In Rome

“Jesus Buck, how many bottles of conditioner did you bring? We’re only going to be here for a week.” Eddie pulled out 6 bottles of assorted products and set each of them on the bed with an eye roll.

“You try and keep this hair looking flawless without it. Besides, I’ve seen your shower.” Buck retorted, with a snort.

“Shut up.”

“Buck! Eddie! Hurry up!” Carlos and TK said from outside the door. Buck threw the bottles in his suitcase while Eddie leaned his hand on the doorknob.

“Come on! I’m starving!” Eddie whined mockingly.

—

The restaurant is packed and the four men are lucky to get a table. Buck and Eddie on one side. TK and Carlos on the other. The latter is not subtle about anything at all. The former still won’t admit they even have feelings for each other, yet they went on vacation together.

20 minutes later, after the food was presented and TK finally stopped laying on Carlos’ shoulder to eat his food.

“So how is California? Had any good disasters lately?”

“The dam broke. Again. And there was a meteorite.” Buck began.

“Don’t forget about the exploding food truck and assorted other crashes and explosions.” Eddie continued.

“Beat a volcano, buddy,” Carlos said, between bites.

“So it is true everything is bigger in Texas,” Buck remarked with fondness.

“Yes. It is.” Carlos and Eddie said at the same time. Tk had to fight to control his laughter.

—

An hour and three pitchers of raspberry lemonade later, Carlos signaled for the check. The waitress set the bill on the table with a quick, “Do y’all need split bills?” She glanced at Carlos and TK, and shifted her gaze to Eddie and Buck. Her gaze hung in the air until Carlos abruptly spoke up “I’ll pay.”

“Thanks,” Buck whispered. The poor thing turned 8 shades of plum and crimson. Eddie almost looked the same, but his complexion looked less conspicuous because of obvious reasons.

“Absolutely, California boys.” TK grinned softly, sharing a kiss with his boyfriend you just saved Eddie and Buck from an embarrassing story to tell later.

The four left the restaurant, the situation with the check forgotten for the moment.

“Yeah, he is definitely the one we all worry about. He got crushed by a ladder truck. And then almost died in a tsunami. Also, he’s the youngest. If that tells you anything.” Eddie smirked at Buck who was rolling his eyes softly.

“He and TK are two peas in a pod then. Stop landing yourself in the hospital babe. You’re 26 and you’ve been in the hospital more times than I even want to know about.”

TK shut him up with a kiss, while Eddie and Buck looked at each other in a way that can only be described as faraway repressed pining. So much to say and no way to say it. So they each forced a smile.

—

Later that night, as the sun set and the four of them: one pair a couple and the other, just friends, as they always said. Carlos and TK had one room of the little bungalow and were doing nothing except lazily tracing circling over each other’s ribs.

“They’re definitely pining, right? I’m not just making mountains out of mousetraps?” TK said softly, referring to their California friends.

“It's make mountains out of molehills, T. But yes. There’s is no hiding that pining. Even Judd said something about when they were here a few months ago.”

“Tell me about it. If even Judd can see that, they must be the last ones to know.”

“Or they’re just lying to themselves.”

—

There is a certain amount of tension between Eddie and Buck still. From the lawsuit, from quarantine, from hiding in mutually exclusive bubbles.

“How’s Christopher?” Buck said after clearing his throat loudly.

“He’s good. Online school is taking its toll, but his grades are solid. He seems happy.”

“That’s good. I’m glad.”

“Me too.”

—

All four of the vacationing housemates were awoken by a scream. Multiple screams.

“Who’s screaming? What’s wrong?”

“They’re from next door. Shit.”

The four of them ran to the next house and since Carlos got there first, he was the one who banged on the door. Whoever was screaming was still screaming.

The door splintered open as TK broke it open and the four of them stopped dead in their tracks. A bird was flying around the room squawking incessantly.

“Whoa. A bird.” Buck said, raising his eyebrows in insane surprise.

“Ma’am, what’s your name?” Eddie said, obviously more into the logical side of situations.

“Hope! Can y’all get the bird out of here? Like yesterday!” She stood on top of the divider between the kitchen and the living room, shaking like a leaf.

“Do you have a net of some kind?” Buck said, quickly peeking around for a random butterfly net sitting around.

“Why the hell would she have a net?” Eddie said briskly, holding a laundry basket from the bathroom.

In the other part of the room, Carlos and TK were getting a terrified Hope down from the ledge. Buck and Eddie were running around like chickens trying to catch this bird. The bird went down when they went up. And up when they went down.

“Maldito pajaro.” Eddie said under his breath.

Buck leaped for the bird and slammed the basket to the floor with a still squawking and writhing bird inside the plastic basket.

The two of them slowly and carefully maneuvered the bird to the doorway. Hope, TK, and Carlos were watching from the window.

The bird luckily flew away from Hope's house and not back into it. Poor Hope almost collapsed in relief into TK and Carlos’ arms.

Buck and Eddie stayed outside for a moment. They justified it to themselves that the breeze felt nice and the beach was clear.

“Nice dive, Buck,” Eddie said, his voice wistful and his eyes sparkling. He cleared his throat, but the gummy feeling wouldn’t dissolve. “I’m proud of you.”

“What’s that?” Buck pretended not to hear, just for Eddie to say it again.

“I’m proud of you. Partner.” The word partner was difficult for Eddie to say, and it took everything for Buck not to mention the clear desire for his word to be something else. He’d even settle for a friend.

“Thanks. Partner.”

—

“They’re together, right?” Hope said after she’d calmed down enough to not have a nervous breakdown.

Both Carlos and TK shook their heads.

“You’re kidding. They’re so together. They fight like a married couple.”

“We know. But they’re not together.”

“They should be.”

“Yeah. They should.”

—

The two of them stood in silence. Despite the tension between them, neither of them wanted to go inside.

“I don’t want to be just partners!” Eddie said in a rush.

“Me either. Friends at least.” Buck replied, twiddling his thumbs.

“Everyone thinks we’re together., anyway.”

“They do?”

“Yes! Did you not see the way that waitress looked at us? Or the way Hen gives us those eyes when we stand really close together?” Eddie said with fond exasperation.

“I like you, Eddie.”

“Obviously I like you too.”

“No Eddie I mean I want to be with you.”

“I love you too Buck.”

“Oh, really?”

—

“Are you sure they’re not together?” Hope continued, her eyebrow quirked at the impossibility of her statement considering what Eddie and Buck were doing outside.

“Guess we were wrong.”

**Author's Note:**

> whew. wow. writing is hard, am i right?


End file.
